It’s absolutely nails to begin with, but stick with Cyber Shadow and it will be your new favourite platformer. There will be tantrums and swearwords, but when a game looks this cool you can’t stay mad at it.

It’s not an easy game, per se, but then it never claimed to be. Once you get your head around the time and patience aspect, SnowRunner is going to engross you. It won’t win any Game of the Year awards for being niche, but then neither does Train Simulator. If you can convince some friends to join you, then even better. But even as a solo experience, there’s some absolute joy to be had when you get stuck into it.

There is a lot to love in this indie RPG, with a wonderful level of detail. It’s just a shame that it has only the bare bones of a plot, and some MMO tropes that should have been cut.

Midnight Suns is a revelation in tactics gameplay, ditching movement constraints in service of its superhero cast. Its story is well told and voiced, and in between combat there’s a wonderful hub to explore. Structured like a daily tasks Persona-type experience, it won me over with oodles of character and design smarts throughout, keeping me coming back day after day.

Penko Park plays mechanically better than others in its genre and is a strange blend of the cute and unsettling. It’s a little bit on the short side, but there’s never a dull moment when you’re taking snaps of all the weird and wonderful wildlife.

Pocky and Rocky Reshrined is a gorgeous run-and-gun shooter, lovingly and faithfully reimagined. It’s just as much fun as it was back in the nineties, but little in the way of extra content and decidedly old-school controls hold it back from greatness.

It’s not easy, but then, nothing fun usually is right off the bat. Give it time, get used to the mechanics, and Neon Abyss will take place as that frustratingly fun game in your library.

Railbound is a quaint, confident and colourful puzzle game that’ll charm your socks off if you let it. The presentation is welcoming, while the puzzles are challenging, all chocking up to a well-designed puzzler that’ll keep your brain boggling for hours.

Pepper Grinder is a short but near-flawless 2D platformer that’s a thrill ride from start to finish. From the sparkling pixel art visuals to its ingenious drilling gameplay, the game is a must-play for any platforming fan.

Arise – A Simple Story contains a beautifully told story within a charming puzzle adventure. With poignant moments and joyful visuals, this game has the ability to capture a breadth of emotion with ease. It’s a short but worthy edition to narrative driven puzzle games.

Company of Heroes 3 is a solid, but flawed, new entry into the series. The multiplayer especially is still amazingly fun, but there are a plethora of balance issues that need to be solved for it to truly shine. In addition, the single player modes are in many ways a bit lacking and even at times a bit boring. It requires more refinement, but if Relic can improve the AI, and build upon their Italy campaign, then the future is bright for the Company of Heroes franchise.

Mornia is a top-down 2D pixelart world that is a gruesome joy to explore and attempt to liberate. It’s difficulty will put some off, but Morbid: The Seven Acolytes is a competent and accessible souls-like experience, that gives everyone a level playing field with its minimalist systems and simple move sets.

Planet Coaster arrives on consoles in scintillating form, offering up near-unlimited options to create the theme park of your dreams with ease. If there’s a hidden gem in the PS5 launch line-up, this is it.

A breath of fresh, bright and breezy air after a summer of hard-hitting AAA’s, Fall Guys cements itself as an essential addition to your party library. Believe the hype.

After this many years, that Suikoden I & II got remasters is in itself a blessing. That Konami paid attention and added quality of life improvements is testament to the esteem that these two titles hold. Lush visuals over a pixelated palette, UI tweaks and traversal improvements, this is a real love letter to Suikoden fans. There are a few cracks, more so in the first game, but as a package it's easily ignored for the stories and fun that both games bring.

WRC 9 is a challenging rally game that celebrates the FIA World Rally Championship’s past and present. The driving mechanics themselves are very well implemented and there’s plenty of modes that’ll keep you busy – but there’s more than a few rough edges that prevent it from being a real champion.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a fantastic achievement, one that celebrates the wonder of adventure games with a story to fall into, characters to root for and a ton of collectibles to uncover. The ‘Now That’s What I Call An Adventure Game’ nature of the mechanics offers little in the way of huge originality, but presents them in a world so full of beauty and wonder you’ll soon forget all about it. The future is bright for Ember Lab.

TellTale and Deck Nine have laid the foundations of what could be one of the best in both of their catalogues. The introduction can feel like a whiplash if you’re entirely new to The Expanse, but the characters and world help you settle in nicely. The level design and overall presentation are a step up from the cel-shaded roots, though the characters don’t look the best comparatively. Overall, a very promising first episode.

For those wondering where the great classic survival horrors have gone – Signalis is right here, ready to welcome you. Rose Engine have taken inspiration from the greats in the genre. In some ways it pushes the genre forward. You may not vibe with how it plays on occasion but beyond that is an incredible story, with a memorable dystopian sci-fi aesthetic you’ll find hard to let go.

Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is a pleasant companion tool for increasing your productivity and fostering a more mindful space to focus. It’s not really a video game in the traditional sense, thanks to the lack of interactivity and gameplay. However, it has a wonderful set of relaxing tracks and a charming aesthetic that makes it a welcoming, peaceful addition to your day-to-day routine, even if it’s not a gaming essential.

SEASON: A letter to the future is a soothing and immersive world of exploration and atmosphere. It’s an easy recommendation for indie lovers with an appetite for adventure and discovery. The game revels in beautiful fidelity and a wonderful art style, containing a journey of memory, storytelling and community.

FIST is a by-the-numbers Metroidvania, elevated by its cast of anthro characters and its deep and interesting dieselpunk world. However, this doesn’t distract enough to forgive its unbalanced combat, very standard level design and a lot of back-tracking.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl ventures into the uncharted territory of the PS5 in a much better technical state, though the odd bug is still common. Boasting a huge apocalyptic landscape to explore, impressively long main story and some great gunplay, its destructive charm is easily noticeable. Sadly, it feels caught between two parallel genres and is unable to commit to either, suffering from tedious survival mechanics and superfluous decision making. The mysteries of the Zone pale in comparison to the mystery of what could have been if it had had a unified vision.

Ys IX Monstrum Nox may come from an established franchise, but it treads the line of least resistance, trying to be as safe as possible. While its painfully slow narrative ends strongly, combat remains its strongest asset. It takes no risks, ending up as an almost cookie-cutter version of the previous title in a different setting.

A vibrant, fast paced FPS that riffs on Doom and Quake in humorous ways, Fashion Police Squad blends its retro inspirations with more modern day sensibilities for a fun if brief game. The Switch version of the game is an excellent port of the PC original, now including gyro controls and taking full benefit of the updates that have been released since launch.

Tetris, the granddaddy of all puzzlers, has hit the dance floor in his sequined disco outfit. It’s the best you’ve ever seen him, dazzling, blinding even. He’s dancing with your friend who’s half his age, but the moves he’s rocking are old-school dad-dancing and oh so dated.

Built on aged but sturdy foundations, Stronghold: Definitive Edition honours the roots of the franchise with wonderfully remastered visuals, challenging new content campaigns and a level of love many other, more money-hungry remasters fail to receive. A veritable banquet of siege warfare awaits, including actual multiplayer support and a smashing higher fidelity soundtrack. “To the walls!” as the archers would say.

Ninja Gaiden 2 Black isn’t perfect, but its razor-sharp combat and relentless challenge ensure it still stands tall.